Pleasure marine craft typically carry several long, vertically oriented radio antennas as well as one or more radar antennas. These antennas are used in the upright, or vertical position in order to optimize signal reception. This length of antenna and vertical orientation makes the antenna considerably taller than the boat, and frequently tall enough to interfere when the boat is to pass under a bridge or similar structure. Heretofore, the commonly available correction to avoid a collision requires the boat operator to manually lower the antenna before the bridge and raise the antenna after. A similar situation exists with many fishing boats with respect to fishing poles which are mounted upright.
An improvement in the means to lower and raise the radar type of antenna, which antenna is typically mounted on an overhead arch on the boat, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,773 to Sparkes et al. for a Remote Control Tilting System For Raising And Lowering Radar And Radio Arch For Boats. The Sparkes et al. patent teaches a tiltable arch which carries the subject antennas. The tilting action is accomplished by means of a powered actuator coupled to the arch.
While the Sparkes et al. patent discloses a useful mechanism, it does present drawbacks which limit its value. One such limitation is that a hydraulic actuator, as described in patent '773, requires a motor, a pump and control valves to operate, and thus is somewhat complex. A second limitation is that the described invention, being hydraulic, is prone to variations in position and motion dependent upon the temperature of the fluid at the time. A third limitation is that the described mechanism is suited specifically for use with antennas mounted on an arch, which is not available in all boats, and is not always appropriate for the antenna desired to be mounted. Longer antennas are not suited for arch mounting since they traditionally require an upper stabilizing support.
Another related invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,928 to Frick for a CONTROL SYSTEM FOR OUTRIGGER SPORT FISHING. Frick teaches an apparatus to mechanically manipulate the orientation of an outrigger fishing pole attached to a boat. The apparatus permits movement of the outrigger in angular relation to the longitudinal axis of the keel from horizontal to vertical and from perpendicular to parallel in a horizontal plane.
The Frick patent invention deals with a mechanism intended to advantageously position a fishing pole in two planes of motion not dealing with the situation of passing beneath a bridge, of multiple pole movement or of status indication to guard against damage.
Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an antenna controller which is operable without the use of hydraulics.
It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide a controller to lower and raise a boat-mounted antenna or fishing rod which will be applicable to radio type, as well as radar type, antennas.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a controller which is operable to lower and raise fishing rods mounted to a boat.
It is a still further objective of the present invention to provide an antenna controller which is simple to install and simple to operate.
These and additional objectives will be apparent to those skilled in the art through the disclosure and drawings to follow.